Martinez_JP_Curriculum Plan Critique- Differentiation Assignment
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Curriculum Plan Critique: Differentiation Assignment
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Curriculum Plan Critique: Differentiation Assignment
Juan P Martinez
School of Education, Liberty University
Author Note
Juan P Martinez
I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to
Juan P Martinez Email: jmartinez201@liberty.edu
CURRICULUM CRITIQUE
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Curriculum Plan Critique: Differentiated Assignment
The most crucial aspect when adopting a new curriculum is aligning the state standards
and objectives. The school district must use a curriculum that aligns with the state standards; for
accountability purposes, the school and the district get a yearly rating based on student
performance. They compare their scores to other similar schools and communities in the state.
The accountability rate determines funding for many school districts and their sustainability to
remain open. In Texas, if a school district underperforms for three consecutive years with an F
rating, that district is at risk of being taken over by the state school education agency. Once the
community decides on a curriculum that fits the needs of its students, then implementation
begins; implementation must start with differentiated instruction.
“Learning is certainly not a "one size fits all" experience. We learn in many different
ways and through many different modalities and sources. Teachers have always been aware of
these differences and have tried to accommodate and individualize learning to fit students' needs.
Differentiating can sometimes feel overwhelming and impossible regarding how to address each
child's need separately or mistakenly through defined learning styles (Barrett-Zahn, E. 2019)”.
This statement is very true; all students learn differently, and when delivering a lesson, it must fit
the needs of all its students. Teachers must know their students, their strengths and weaknesses,
and how they learn best. A good teacher will have exemplars (visuals to represent keywords),
integrate kinetic movement in the classroom, and some manipulatives to fit their students'
learning needs. Teachers need training and support from district and campus leaders to achieve
differentiated instruction. There must be ongoing professional developments, measurable goals,
and an accountability system that will hold teachers responsible for implementing differentiating
CURRICULUM CRITIQUE
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instruction. Teachers must create engaging activities that are interactive and differentiated to
facilitate student learning.
Compare
The objective is alignment between curriculum and state standards and differentiated
instruction through instructional activities that are well planned out in the lesson plan. The
curriculum must align with the state standards and fit the learning needs of its students; the
teachers then apply differentiated instruction to ensure they meet all the learning needs of all
their students. The alignment to the state standards and differentiated instruction put the learning
needs of students at the top of their list. “As student diversity is the norm in today's schools, pre-
service teachers need to understand how to meet their students' diverse needs ()
effectively.”Teachers must receive ongoing support and training to implement differentiated
instruction and deliver the concepts and skills their learners need for mastery. The lessons must
be creative and engaging for all students to help them activate background knowledge and blend
in with new concepts. This will ensure students have the information to master the state standard
and objective.
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CURRICULUM CRITIQUE
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Contrast
There is a difference between both; while the curriculum requires alignment between the
state standards and what is being taught to students, it needs to implement differentiated
instruction. Teachers must read through the curriculum and blend in differentiated strategies that
will better serve their students in mastering and understanding the information being given.
Teachers must plan ahead of the lesson's delivery through lesson plans, state the state standard
being covered in the curriculum, the objective, and the instructional method of the lesson's
instruction. The differentiated instruction strategies that will be implemented for student mastery
and comprehension will aim to meet all the learning needs of the students in the classroom. The
curriculum is adapted for mastery of state standards, not differentiated learning. The district's and
campus's duty is to ensure that differentiated instruction occurs in the classroom. “Teachers need
to rely on real-time data and information to decide the most prudent supports so that all students
can learn. Rather than relying on summative results, we must attend to and work with students to
help them achieve their goals and increase their level of independence in learning. They
celebrated growth in all learning aspects, whether content, skill, or strategy, should become the
norm (Barrett-Zahn, E. 2019)”.
CURRICULUM CRITIQUE
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Application
The curriculum must align with the state standards and embed the latest strategies to
deliver instruction to diverse students. I recommend that the creators and developers of
curriculums include differentiated strategies to help learners master the objectives. Different
learning styles exist: visuals, kinetics, manipulatives, listeners, or a combination. Students learn
differently from one another; it is the teacher's responsibility to ensure that students implement
strategies to aid diverse learners in their instruction.
Whether through concept-based or skill-
based learning, teachers must know their students and implement strategies to support their
comprehension. The curriculums must imbed problem-based, project-based, and real-world
experiences for students to master the information. Teachers could create collaborative
environments for all students and allow them to feel safe when responding to questions from
their peers, anticipate misconceptions, and apply strategies to target them before the delivery of
the lesson.
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References
Barrett-Zahn, E. (2019). Differentiated Instruction.
Science and Children, 57
(2), 6.
https://go.openathens.net/redirector/liberty.edu?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-
journals/differentiated-instruction/docview/2281718156/se-2
Griful-Freixenet, J., Struyven, K., & Vantieghem, W. (2021). Exploring pre-service
teachers’ beliefs and practices about two inclusive frameworks: Universal design for learning and
differentiated instruction.
Teaching and Teacher Education, 107
,
103503. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103503
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